Is it wrong to buy a purebred puppy?

[DragonLady]

Regarding inbreeding: I have read (don't have a source handy, so I don't know how true it is) that many show breeds started from a very small founding stock (less than 100 individuals in some cases). If this is true, dogs of these breeds are likely inbred, even if the pedigree doesn't show close relatives having been bred in recent generations.

It has been my experience that mutts are generally healthier than purebreds. Also, in show breeds, distinctive physical characteristics tend to get exaggerated, often to the point that they cause physical problems.

The downside of mutts is that, especially if you adopt the dog as a puppy, you really don't know what you're going to end up with. Big feet on a puppy usually mean it will get big, but "big' might be 60 pounds, or it might be 150 pounds. With a purebred, you generally have a much better idea of what the dog will be like when it grows up.

Yes; this is true. Many breeders still do inbreed, as it can have far more predictable results. In theory, careful selective breeding retains and enhances desirable traits, while suppressing or even eliminating many problems. That's the theory...but of course, actual practice isn't so black-and-white.

An experienced breeder who knows and weighs the risks and benefits of inbreeding should be able to decide for themselves; and those who wish to buy a puppy should read the pedigree, ask questions and make their own decision.

And of course, all kinds of other animals are subjected to the same manipulation; but we rarely hear much about it.

 

[John Jones]

There is no difference between a show dog and what you do. Both of you are using a dog as part of a hobby.

Hunting is just a hobby. It is equally dumb as anything a hipster does for fun.

Tedious poster is tedious. /last reply

 

[John Jones]

Do you want to tell darat that?

Reported

 

[Cleon]

Being a pittie guy, I guess my point is pretty specific to pit bulls:

Please, there are too many of them out there, and entirely too many of them are in animal control waiting for a loving home. Unless you have a really good reason, I cannot see anything ethical about subsidizing pit breeders, especially when some of them make the Amish puppy mills look like Disneyland.

Don't get me wrong, there are some pit breeders out there that try to be legit and responsible. But there are a lot more that are "backyard breeders" or worse, and there needs to be waaaaaaaay fewer of them across the board.

 

[xjx388]

Don't most animal activists consider owning pets at all to be immoral? I'm sure some are not as extreme but certainly PETA is on the "stop owning animals!" train.

IMHO, owning dogs is a purely individual thing; it's hard to draw a bright moral line. Some of us just enjoy their company whatever their breed is. Some of us want to rescue abused dogs. Some of us want a beautiful representative of it's breed. There are a wide variety of motivations. I would say the moral line is simple: don't support breeders, shops, etc who are only about the money. I have no problem with making money but the health and wellbeing of the animals they deal with should be paramount. There's no reason you can't breed healthy dogs AND make money doing it.

 

[GrandMasterFox]

Please, there are too many of them out there, and entirely too many of them are in animal control waiting for a loving home.

Out of curiosity:

Do you have biological children ? If not are you planning to at some point in your life?

And if either of the above was a "yes" -
Why aren't you instead planning on adopting one from the many who are in orphanages waiting for a loving home?




I realize that might sound rude, but I'm not being sarcastic. I'm actually interested in understanding the difference.

 

[GrandMasterFox]

As for the op, my first dog was a Pomeranian that my sister bought (and quickly after stopped giving a damn and he pretty much became mine).

She got him from an old lady who breeds and sells them. I've seen her place and frankly that place is hardly a "puppy mill".

I think it's more of an issue of the place that breeds them.

Not all are good, not all are bad. Just do some basic research on the place.

 

[Varanid]

there needs to be waaaaaaaay fewer of them across the board.

Why? Properly socialized and trained pits are ridiculous balls of tail-wagging love.

 

[Minoosh]

Tiara Objects!

Aptly named, she looks like a princess



Mine (above) may have come from a puppy mill. I bought her online, sight unseen and had her shipped here. I did notice breeders were concentrated in the SE and figured this had become an industry in depressed rural areas. Apparently Amish are big on churning out puppies.

A Rolling Stone article was particularly sad: The dog factory: Inside the Sickening World of Puppy Mills.

 

[Cleon]

Out of curiosity:

Do you have biological children ? If not are you planning to at some point in your life?

Nope.

But FWIW, I have nothing but the highest respect for foster and adoptive parents.

 

[Cleon]

Why? Properly socialized and trained pits are ridiculous balls of tail-wagging love.

Oh, I love my pitties. I've literally packed up and moved rather than give up my big-headed snuggledogs.

But there's a massive overpopulation of pits, resulting in many winding up in animal shelters - if you call your local shelter, I guarantee you that pits and pit mixes make up a disproportionate number of the dogs there.

We need more adoptions and fewer puppies.

 

[Cleon]

Don't most animal activists consider owning pets at all to be immoral? I'm sure some are not as extreme but certainly PETA is on the "stop owning animals!" train.

There are animal activists and there are animal advocates. People who rescue dogs and cats, foster them, or volunteer at the local HS are wonderful people who love animals. Very few of them, if any, are PETAfiles.

 

[Varanid]

Oh, I love my pitties. I've literally packed up and moved rather than give up my big-headed snuggledogs.

Ah, I hear ya. Sorry -- I am prickly about the knee-jerk reaction Joe Q. Public often has about pits, and I must have misunderstood your post. Pits aren't exactly my jam, but I can't think of many I've met that I didn't love. They are glorious, sugary-sweet animals, and I love their thick, athletic build.

But there's a massive overpopulation of pits, resulting in many winding up in animal shelters - if you call your local shelter, I guarantee you that pits and pit mixes make up a disproportionate number of the dogs there.

We need more adoptions and fewer puppies.

And I'd guarantee you that a disproportionate number of mid-sized, short-haired dogs in rescues are labelled as pits or pit-mixes.

I'm sure a pit or two may very well appear in the gene pool of many mixed breeds, but there probably aren't as many real pits in kennels as most would think. Paraphrased, from the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management: Feral dogs assume the look of a generalized mongrel after only a few generations.

Short hair and a medium-sized, athletic build.

***
This brings up another important (yet unrelated to Cleon's post) point: Most mixed breeds in rescues are unlikely to be the direct descendants of two purebred dogs. Most are undoubtedly the offspring of other mutts, who themselves are likely the result of mixed heritage.

Not many people who go to the trouble of purchasing a "pure-bred" dog (forgive the colloquial usage of the term) let their pet roam about banging other pure bred dogs on moonlit nights in the neighborhood.

It is far more likely that mixed breed, impulsively adopted/purchased dogs are allowed to run free, and the parents of said dogs are less likely to provide proper care for the resulting offspring (meaning: finding the puppies good homes).

As much as I oppose breed bans and similar limitations on the ability of well-intentioned and well-informed people to share their lives with animals, I do think that a lot of pet owners probably aren't cut out for the gig.

However, I think that for those who are sufficiently dedicated, it's hard to go wrong with a pit. IMHO, they are much better suited for novice owners than many other, less controversial breeds are.

Anecdotal Alert: I don't often hesitate to pet any pit-looking pooch I meet at the dog park; but, I get a full background check on any Chihuahua I meet before making eye contact.

 

[Varanid]

There are animal activists and there are animal advocates. People who rescue dogs and cats, foster them, or volunteer at the local HS are wonderful people who love animals. Very few of them, if any, are PETAfiles.

This. And, as an obviously biased wildlife educator, I would add those who teach others about the lives and value of animals.

It comes down to the argument between animal rights vs. animal welfare.

It's a gigantic chasm of a difference.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to share your life with animals.
There's nothing wrong with selectively breeding said animals to suit your purposes, assuming that their well-being is incorporated into the planning.

But all living animals should be treated with compassion and respect.

And yes, this includes those bred for consumption.

 

[GrandMasterFox]

Nope.

But FWIW, I have nothing but the highest respect for foster and adoptive parents.

Alright, fair enough.

 

[varwoche]

My Rottie is sleeping (well, drooling) on my feet as we speak.
I've never met such a loving and devoted dog, and I've been around canines my entire life, including a very diverse array of working breeds.

Yeah, my first rottie was the gentlest* giant you could imagine. He loved every human he ever met. He made Carl look viscous. Our new-ish rottie pup shows every sign of turning out similarly.

* Not counting puppy play. They are a danger to humanity due to playfulness.

 

[Varanid]

* Not counting puppy play. They are a danger to humanity due to playfulness.

You aren't kidding.

I work from home, so my little gal isn't away from her pa very often at all.

But, on those rare occasions in which I'm gone for a few hours, I have to take a few deep breaths and prepare myself for the guaranteed attack that will come when I open the door.

And god help me when we play tag on the floor. She'll just fling herself into me at full speed.

She's super gentle with my wife, but playtime with daddy is a full-contact affair.

 

[novaphile]

You two are making me nostalgic for my rotty.

I can't fault the breeder based on her. The local Rottweiler club were working very hard to eliminate breed faults (mainly hip dysplasia IIRC).

When we were playing together (with me on all fours) she could easily roll me onto my back with a well-landed cuff, and then would lie on me for extra snuggles and scritches.

The only time I ever saw her display aggression was when she once defended a group of toddlers from their shouting parents.

According to a friend of mine, she was very aggressive when he climbed over the side fence to retrieve a bicycle that he'd left behind the night before (to drunk/tired to ride home). (He and the bike went back over the fence at double speed, very surprising, because she adored him under normal circumstances)

I will forever miss my furry footstool.

So, no, I don't think buying a pure-breed is necessarily wrong.

 

[Arisia]

I'd never buy one from a pet store, of course, since those are all puppy mill puppies. I'd be most likely to go for a breed that's in the Working, Sporting or Terrier groups, so I'd look for a reputable breeder of dogs not for the show ring but for the actual work the breed was created for, if I didn't just go to the lovely shelter right here in town. I'd also investigate breed rescue groups along with breeders.

(Actually more of a cat person, to be honest.)

 

[mgidm86]

I once saw why dogs do the tug of war. Was out with a friend and her dogs, and of her dogs goodness knows how managed to grab a rabbit. My dog bounded over grabbed the other end and they tugged. Rabbit split and the intestines all dropped out and they were left with a ready to eat fresh eviscerated rabbit. Fantastic if gruesome way to understand the underlying instinct in play when we play with our dogs.

The dogs are trying to take the kill from each other. They are not cooperating on ripping open the dead animal. I have never seen an adult dog allow another adult dog to grab or even come near its meal so it can be shared.

Similar thing with most (all?) terriers. They'll shake the bejesus out of anything because that's how they kill.

All dogs do this. That's how they break the neck.